Cagiva/ducati News Update

CAGIVA/DUCATI NEWS UPDATE

CAGIVA'S EAGERLY AWAITED F4 750 Superbike will not be launched at the upcoming Milan Show as previously thought. The slant-block, dohc inlineFour's debut will be delayed at least six months, effectively removing any chance that the bike will see race action in 1996. Reason given for the holdup was, of all things, headlights. "We need to redesign the whole front part of the bodywork to meet new headlamp regulations being introduced in the USA, Japan and other countries," said Cagiva boss Claudio Castiglioni. "This requires the pro duction of specially shaped headlamps, and headlamp man ufacture has one of the longest lead times of any component on a motorcycle, typically 6 to 9 months." Plans now call for the fuel-injected F4 to be rolled out mid-1996, at the earliest. Contrary to early reports indi cating an aluminum-beam frame, the production F4 will

have a tubular-steel spaceframe. "This is an Italian motorcycle," said Castiglioni, "and in the same way as the engine features innovative engineering unlike anything yet made in Japan, so our chassis technology must be distinct from anyone else's. It was difficult to combine a spaceframe with our engine de sign, but we did it. I am only sorry that there now must be an inevitable delay before we can show off the achievements of our engineers." Castiglioni also confirmed that shares in Ducati will be of fered on the New York Stock Exchange early in 1996. Float ing Ducati on Wall Street will enable outside capital to be sourced for the benefit of the Cagiva Group. It's worth under lining that only shares in Ducati are being offered for sale, not Cagiva or the controlling Grup p0 Cagiva, both of which re main wholly owned by the Castiglioni family.

Kenny Roberts to race Cagi vas? The Italian company, out of GP racing since 1994, was ap proached recently by KR after an apparent falling out with long-time Team Roberts sponsor Yamaha. "This was a great honor," said Cagiva technical head Riccardo Rosa of Roberts' request, "but all our efforts must be directed from now on to de velopment of the F4 Superbike, which is a category with a better commercial future as far as Ca giva is concerned. But it was nice to be asked." No word from Yamaha or Roberts about a rec onciliation. Grander Canyon in the works. Look for a V-Twin partner to the new Cagiva Canyon (see riding impression this issue). Though company executives disclaim knowledge of the 900SS-powered bike-presumably to avoid damaging sales of the 600 Sin gle-for sure it exists and design work on it is nearly complete.

-Alan Cathcart